Turkey blocks access to Dutch-based Booking.com

Access to Booking.com online hotel booking platform has been blocked by an İstanbul court, several media outlets reported on Wednesday.

According to Turkishminute.com news portal, the İstanbul 5th Commercial Court of First Instancet on Wednesday ruled for the “preventive ban” on the activities of the Dutch-based platform in Turkey due to “unfair competition.”

The decision came after the Turkish Association of Travel Agents (TÜRSAB) filed a complaint against the Dutch-based Booking.com website claiming that the website is engaged in unfair competition against Turkish-based hotel and flight booking platforms.

According to the decision, Booking.com will not be able conduct commercial activities via its website Booking.com, and the Information Technologies and Communications Authority (BTK) is to be ordered to ban access to the website in Turkey.

Turkey’s relations with European countries, including the Netherlands, have been strained over their refusal to allow Turkish government officials to hold rallies there ahead of a public referendum in Turkey in April.